Envelope-sealing machine



Decfs, 1.924.

A 1,518,330 A. J. KElsER ENVELOPE SEALING MACHIN Filed Jan. 2, 1920 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 BY v, l I Jv* RNEY 1,518,330 A. J. KEISER ENvELoPE sEALING MACHINE Filed Jan..2, 1920. :5 sheets-snee; 2k

IN1/Enron 5 ATTORNEY.'

Dec. 9, 1924.

' `1,518,330 A. J. KElsER VENVELOPE SEALING MACHINE Filed Jan. 2, 1920 3 sheets-sheet s a INVENToR. m dize' BY y I l i @ATTORNEY Patented Dec. 9, 1924. .f

UNITED STATES PTENT OFFICE.

ARTHUR J. KEISER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR- TO THE BIRCI-IER C0., INC., OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ENVELOPE-SEALING MACHINE.

To all whom t may camera.'

Be it known that I, ARTHUR J. Kmsnn, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Envelope- Sea-ling Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and eXact description of thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, and to the reference numerals marked thereon.

-My present invention relates to envelope sealing machines of the nature set forth in my pending application Serial No. 233,890, filed May 11, 1918, which has resulted in Patent No. 1,426,745, dated August 22, 1922, and it has for its object to improve upon that machine in several particulars including the feeding mechanism and the matter of properly manipulating the envelope so that it will be properly presented to the moistening device. The present improvements are directed in part toward rendering the machine more capable of handling bulky envelopes and toward so constructing the moistening devices that the gummed flap will be drawn over properly against the body of the envelope so that the crease will be taut and flat and the flap will not wrinkle or bulge. To these and other ends the invention resides in certain improvements and combinations of parts all as will be hereinafter more fully described, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the end of the specification. r

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side view of an envelope sealing machine constructed in accordance with and illustrating one embodiment of my invention;

Figure 2 is a top view thereof;

Figure 3 is a side view corresponding to Figure 1 but with the guide plate and parts exterior thereof removed; v

Figure 4 is a bottom view.; v

Figure 5 is a long'tudi-nalsection looking toward the side of the machine presented to view in Figure l;

Fi ure Gis a transverse section taken substantially on-the line 6 6 of Figure 4, and 4,Figure 7 is an enlargedfragmentarytop view of the moistening devices with parts broken away and an yenvelope in process of being moistened.

Similar reference numerals throughout the several views indicate the same parts.

To first briefly describe the general character of the machine, envelopes are fed from off the bottom of a stack placed on a table and pass into a runway where they are picked up by the frictional contact of conveyors that carry them successively into the path of a moistening disc that runs between the flap and the body of the envelope, the latter being in a horizontal plane. From the moistenng disc the envelope travels on the conveyors through sealing rolls that press the wet gum of the flap against the envelope and complete the operation.

In the present instance, the table 1 (Figure 3) is constitutedby the inclined bottom of a hopper 2 having afront retaining part'tion 3 and 4 indicates the stack of envelopes to be fed. The bottom envelope of the stack at a rearward point rests upon the periphery of a feed wheel 5 extending through and slightly above the table and supported in bearing brackets 6 beneath the latter. The periphery of this wheel is smooth and does Ynot move the envelope except for a contact member 7 preferably constituted of a soft rubber plug having frictional engagement sufcient to move the envelope. Upon each rotation of the wheel 5 this contact member comes up through the table and gives the bottom envelope a forward kick whereupon its front edge is gripped by a carrier belt 7a also preferably of soft rubber. The said belt runs in the direction of the arrows over a pulley 8 and a grooved roll 9 turning on shafts 10 and 11 supported in side plates 12 and 13 of the main frame 14 of the machine. Associated with the pulley 8 is a small pulley 14a carrying a spring belt 15 that turns the feed wheel 5 through the medium of a pulley 16 on the shaft thereof.

Just forwardly of the partition plate 3 of the hopper is a grooved presser foot 17 riding on the `carrier belt 7a. This presser foot has a spring pressed stem 18 (Figure 5) supported in a guide member 19 secured .to a bracket arm 2O extending from the frame plate 13 which rises to a height permitting it to serve asa guide for the flap edge of the envelope as it travels on the carrier belt 7a and the continuation thereof hereinafter l mentioned. The rear edge of the presser foot is curved upwardly, as shown, and as the bottom envelope is fed forwardly its front or end edge is forced by the presser foot against the belt a and taken up by the latter which draws it beneath the yielding presser' foot and next presents it to an ironing element 21 in the present form of a lateral extension on the rear end of the presser foot. This ironing element smooths and flattens the envelope if it has been bulged or distended by its contents. 1n other words, it compresses a thick, well filled envelope.

The envelopes are stacked so that their .flaps are uppermost and so that the fold of theflap joining' it to the body portion runs along the guide plate or finger 23. The bracket arm 20 is provided with an in clined ang'ed portion 22 that slopes down toward the fold of the flap and if the latter happensto be raised too high or is at right angles to the body of the envelope, this flange in conjunction with a l:guide bracket 22l secured to side plate 1S folds it down during its passage being` ar 'anged j ust above or slightly beyond the ironing element 21. Should the flap on the other hand, happento` be folded close against the body of the envelope, it is raised and held spaced therefrom sufficiently to ride over the moistener hereinafter described by a finger 23 having a reverse inclination to the folding' flange 22 and also inclined rearwardly, as shown in Figures 2 and 8. This finger 'is pivoted at 2st to the presser foot 17 and is pressed down in a yielding' manner by a springA 25 on the pivot. The point of the nger rides on the periphery of the roll 9 to catch beneath the narrow end of the flap as the end of the envelope passes from the end of a rigid runway 2G formed by an extension of the hopper 2 and table 1. The carrier belt 7a runs through a slot 27 in this runway and table.

The envelope is ner-1t seized by a conveyor consisting' of a plurality of rubber carrier loeltsA 28 running` over the grooved roll il and over a similar grooved pulley 29 similarly supported. -While on this carrier the gummed edge of the under surface of the flap is moistened by a moisteninn' disc El@ inclined sli phtly with respect to the plane of movement of the envelope. 1t, is carried on the lower end of a tilted shaft 31 depending` from a bracket 32 in which it has a` bearing' and which bracket is supported by the frame plates l2Y and 13 tospan the runway of the machine, as shown. in Figure 2. a transverse shaft, 33 also journaled in the bracket 32 drives the shaft 31 through the medium of beveled gears 34 and 35 on the two shafts. respectively.

The disc SOtravels in the direction of the carrier 28 but at greater peripheral speed.

Its upper surface is roughened or suitably treated to adapt it to carry and spread a film of water which is fed to it from a reservoir 36 through a port not shown by means of a piston 36 connected with a pitnian SG operatedby a crank 37 on the roll carrying' shaft 4,9 in a manner set forth in application Serial No. 348,045. As before stated, the disc engages beneath the flap of the envelope and its moist upper surface softens the gum and makes it adhesive and to insure the contact of the gunnned edn'e with such surface, I provide a fiap holder 37 that rides on top of the flap and holds it againstthe disc by gravity pressure. This holder. in the present instance, consists of a curved or bent plate pivoted at ltl to the guide plate 13 of the frame.

By properly choosing the point in the progress of the envelope at which this holder Si' causes the most intimate contact lvet\.'.'.\en the disc and the `ajuin of the flap. l cause the dise to not only meisten the` latter but fio draw it. over on the body of the envelope and pull the .folded edge fiat due to the teademj.' of the gum to adhere to the disc itself. For this purpose`r such contact is made beyond the median line of the disc, or at a point where the surface thereof is t-"avellinal lat erally from beneath the .flap as indicated at X in Figure 3.

From beneath the holder 3T the envelope next passes on the carrier 2S between roll 29 and an upper roll il() that cause the flap to adhere to the body of tbe euvelope and from thence it passes finally between two smoothed pressing; rolls -lfl that `k*rive it the final squeeze and complete the operation. The rolls 3f) and #lll are supported by and have bearings in the side plates 12 and 13 except that the roll ZET and the lower roll 40 turn on their shaftsy l1 and 4:2a respectively, and these are floating; shafts carried on the arm of' a sprint! fr?) coiled about a stud tft on the plates l2 and 13 so that the rolls may yield for envelopes of different thicknesses. The plates are slot ted at 4-5 to permit this movement of the shafts. il. bridge piece 4G supported on the plate 13 at l-T and by an extension -ttl of the bearingbracket carries the bearings for the shafts 49 and 5() of the roll lt) and the upper roll ,lfl.

The machine illustrated is a hand machine and is driven by a crank 51 on the .shaft of the carrier roll fl. From a sproeltet 52 on this shaft a chain runs over a sprocket 54: on a shaft. 55 located between the roll lfl and the upper roll 40 and these rolls are positively driven by a gear 56 on the shaft 55 meshing' with gears 57 on the roll shafts 49 and 50. An idler roller 5S on au arm 59 pivoted to the plate 13 at 60 and operated by a spring; 61 holds the chain 53 in mesh with a sprocket 62 on the shaft BS through which means the moistening dise is driven. The carriers 7a and 2S are. of. course. driven directly by the shaft 11 of the roll` t) carrying the crank 5l.

1 claim as my invention:

1. In an envelope sealing machine, the

Slo

Illa

lll!! llo combination with a table for a stack of envelopes, a sealing device, and a continuously travelling carrier delivering to the latter, of a rotary feeder associated with the table to lie beneath a stack of envelopes thereon and operating in timed relation to the seal ing device and a contact member on the periphery of the feeder adapted to intermittently frictionally engage the lowermost envelope and urge it toward the carrier.

2. In an envelope sealing machine, the combination with a table for a stack of envelopes. a sealing device, a continuously travelling` carrier delivering to the latter, a presser foot cooperating with the carrier and a guide plate arranged between the presser foot and a portion of the carrier that lies beneath a stack of envelopes on the table, of arotary feed associated with the latter to lie beneath the stack and operating in timed relation to the sealing device and a contact member on the periphery of the feeder adapted to intermittently frictionally engage the lowermost envelope and urge it toward the carrier.

3. In an envelope sealing machine the combination with automatic means for feeding an envelope in a given plane, of a disk mounted to revolve in a plane inclined relatively to said feeding plane and adapted to cooperate with the flap of an envelope to moisten the same while the envelope is being moved by the feeding means; and a flap holder mounted to yieldingly engage the surface of the disk or flap of an envelope thereon at a point adjacent the periphery of the disk where it emerges from between the fiap and envelope body.

4'. In an envelope sealing machine, the combination with a support for a stack of envelopes, means for feeding the envelopes one by one from said stack in a given plane, of a revoluble moistening element extending into the path of the envelope and adapted to run between the body and flap thereof while the envelope is being moved by the feeding means, and a flap holder arranged to engage the disk or the Hap of an envelope thereon at or adjacent to the point where the moving flap passes off the moistening element in its path of movement and the surface of the moistening element moves transversely thereto= 5. In an envelope sealing machine, the combination with a support for a stack of envelopes, means for feeding the envelopes one by one from said stack in a given plane, of a revoluble moistening disk extending into the path of the envelope and adapted to operate between the body and flap thereof while the envelope is being moved by the feeding means, and a flap holder arranged to engage the disk or the flap of an envelope thereon at or adjacent to the point where the flap passes off the edge of the disk and the surface of the disk moves away from the flap.

G. In an envelope sealing machine, the combination with a runway and means for carrying an envelope along the same, of a moistening element adapted to run between the body and flap of an envelope on the carrier and an ironing device arranged above the bottom of the runway in advance of the moistening element to iron out the contents of the envelope.

'i'. In an envelope sealing machine, the combination with a runway and means for carrying an envelope along the same, of a inoistening element adapted to run between the body and flap of an envelope on the carrier and an ironing device for the body of the envelope, a liap holding element and a flap lifting linger arranged in the runway in advance of the moistening element in the order named.

8. In an envelope sealing machine, the combination with a runway and means for carrying an envelope along the same, of a moistening element adapted to run between the body and liap of an envelope on the carrier and a flap folding element and a flap lifting finger arranged in the runway in advance of the moistening element in the order named.

9. In an envelope sealing machine, the combination with a runway and means for carrying an envelope along the same comprising a friction belt and a roll over which it runs, of a moistening element adapted to run between the body and flap of an envelope on the carrier and a yielding inclined flap lifting finger arranged tangentially of the roll in advance of the moistene ing element. 

